MADRID (Reuters) -- Spain's high court has opened initial proceedings against Volkswagen Group following the scandal surrounding its rigging of diesel emissions tests, according to a court ruling released on Wednesday.

The company must present a representative before a Spanish judge by Nov. 10 to face the accusations, the document showed.

The case has been opened after the public prosecutor argued earlier this month that VW might have committed fraud, by taking subsidies illicitly, and may have committed a crime related to the environment due to pollution by its cars.

VW has admitted rigging diesel emissions tests in the U.S. and says up to 11 million vehicles worldwide contain the manipulated software used for cheating.

The automaker has said that in Spain, nearly 700,000 cars, mostly linked to its Seat brand, may be affected.